Editing yourself

One of the hardest things to learn is how to write, and then to write well.  Even people who attend University, and earn degrees in the various fields of writing, still have trouble.  It is a skill that must be learned and then practiced, often, to be successful.  For young, or inexperienced, genealogists who do not have the years of work behind them like others in the field it can be a large hurdle to overcome when they are attempting to make a name for themselves.

Blogging could be called the gateway platform to more serious writing.  It is often touted as the way to get your feet wet in the genealogical community.  A way to prove your expertise or to get your thoughts out to a large range of people.  From there many people move on to speaking, writing for journals, creating books, or a number of other things.  But, besides luck, what separates the successful from the crowd.  The ones who are able to self-edit.

Editing is a chore.  It is hard.  It can be time-consuming.  It can be horribly frustrating.  It is something that must be done on anything that is put out with your name on it.  To be honest, it is the bane of my existence.  Unfortunately, if up and coming genealogists want to be taken seriously they need to develop the skill of self-editing so that their work will be read for its content, not for its errors.

If you are unsure of what steps you should take to learn these skills here are 10 things you can do to now to get you started on being a better writer.

1.       Join forces with a friend

The best way to learn how to edit is to edit.  Team up with a friend or colleague who is also doing the same type of writing you are and edit each other’s work.  Make sure it is someone who will be brutally honest with you.  You want them to critique, question, and give you honest feedback.  Of course, you will do the same for their work.  It will make you both better in the end.

2.        Educate yourself

In the 21^st century, there are many ways to educate yourself about the world of writing, editing, and self-publishing.  All you need to do is explore it and learn from the experts out there.  Take a writing course, read a book, or even start following a blog to learn more about the process. 

3.       Everything needs structure

This step is a bit, controversial.  Not everyone likes to make multiple drafts or work from an outline.  Others cannot live without them.  I fall into the latter category (but I am also a list maker).  If you have never worked from an outline before I suggest you give it a try.  For me, it makes the editing process easier.  I use it as the skeletal structure for my writing and it will tell me if there is something missing or in the wrong place.  Outlines can evolve and change over the course of an article, but they always stay true to the initial intent.  They will help you tell your story without going off in too many tangents.

4.       Take time away from your writing

Even if it is only an hour make sure that you let your work breathe before you publish it.  Often you get caught up in the moment, genealogists are passionate after all, and it is not until you come back to re-read your work when you notice the small errors.  Missing words, run-on sentences, correct spelling but the wrong word in a sentence (hear vs here).  Letting your work rest while you go do something else for a while gives you time to come back to it fresh, ready to edit it as needed.

5.       Read it loudly

That is right, do not silently re-read it in your head.  Read your work out loud, to your pet is necessary.  When you read it out loud there is less of a chance that your mind will insert correct or missing words into sentences.  You can also hear the cadence and nuances of the writing and will see what needs to be tweaked.  This is where I can feel if a portion of the text is odd.  If I read it, then stop, tilt my head, and have to re-read it I know there is a problem there.

6.       Kill the problem words

Everyone has a word they overuse, a lot.  For a while, everything was fantastic in my life.  It drove my husband crazy.  When I write I use “that” more than I should.  When I edit my work I sometimes feel like I am on a search and destroy mission for superfluous “that” usage.  Look at your work and determine what your offenders are.  Once you have your list see if you can change the word(s) without changing the meaning of your sentences. 

7.       Stick with one tense, please

Yes, I am guilty of these more often than I would like to admit.  A writer needs to pick a tense and stick with it through their piece.  Often we start with past tense (I was researching, my ancestor…) and then for some reason will switch into the present tense.  Unfortunately, we need to pick one for continuity's sake and so our final draft will sound like it is well put together.

8.        Print it out

Yes, I know, killing trees.  However, nothing replaces the old paper and pen method of editing.  Sometimes simply striking out an offending phrase can make you feel better.  Many editors and writers will tell you that they get more out of editing on paper, with notes in the margins, than they ever do editing on a computer.  For those who are self-editing it also can make the piece feel real.  You wrote it, now you will make it better.

9.        Be ruthless

Did you ever get a paperback in school that looked like it was dripping in red ink?  I did, once.  It was a horrible sight.  It is also the memory I bring up when I am editing large pieces of my writing.  The first drafts are to get the thoughts on paper.  Second drafts are for purging anything not needed from the manuscript.  Take sentences down to only the basics.  Keep paragraphs short if possible.  Create a straightforward and clear masterpiece.

10.    Smooth it out

Transitions between thoughts can be choppy in early draft stages.  Sometimes they never fully form which can lead to awkward paragraphs and thoughts that just appear fully formed on the page (like some of our ancestors).  Do your best to create flawless transitions between sections in your writing and take the work to the next level.